A NEW generation of helicopter has been unveiled as the flagship of the County Air Ambulance fleet and a life-saver for the sick and injured across the West Midlands....

A NEW generation of helicopter has been unveiled as the flagship of the County Air Ambulance fleet and a life-saver for the sick and injured across the West Midlands.

The Princess Royal launched the 135 Eurocopter at RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton. It will see service across the region.

It is the first step in the planned programme to replace three Bolkow 105 helicopters.

Steve Evans, press officer for West Midlands Ambulance, one of the regional ambulance trusts involved in the flying service, said: "The new Eurocopter will be of great benefit to patients. It is faster, it has the latest navigational equipment and it has more room for in-air nursing.

"The older helicopters can only carry one patient but the Eurocopter can carry two."

He added: "We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in fund-raising for the service."

It costs about #50,000 a month to run one of the machines.

They cost about #2 million to buy but the service leases them from Bonds Air Services in Aberdeen.

Every penny is donated in some way or another and, in the 10 years that the service has been going, the public have handed over something like #16.5 million to keep the helicopters flying.

The Eurocopter unveiled by Princess Anne is being used for training the air ambulance pilots. The model for service will be introduced later this year.